A bus company faces a lawsuit after a special needs teen in New Jersey allegedly lost consciousness on the bus and allegedly died days later in the hospital, according to multiple reports.
The parents of 16-year-old Landon Goff have filed a lawsuit against Sheppard Bus Services following their son’s death in 2022, according to WPVI. Landon, who suffered from Rett syndrome, allegedly choked to death on a school bus in an incident his parents reportedly describe as a result of gross negligence.
On the morning of Dec. 1, 2022, his parents said Landon was on the way to his school, WPVI reported. During the 45-minute journey, he lost consciousness, the lawsuit says, according to the outlet.
His parents say the situation was allegedly overlooked by the bus staff, according to the outlet. Landon passed away three days later from an airway obstruction and a brain injury at Dupont Children’s Hospital in Delaware, according to the New York Post.
NJ teen with special needs died from choking when bus staff ignored him: lawsuit https://t.co/Z8TLrWTdSJ pic.twitter.com/IJByqiBVVe
— New York Post (@nypost) December 20, 2023
Jennifer Spahr, Landon’s mother, shared her son was bound to a wheelchair and with limited verbal abilities, WPVI reported. His parents say he was one of only four students on the bus that day. Despite his visible distress, the lawsuit alleges that neither the bus driver nor the substitute aide provided help or called 911 until the bus arrived at the school, where CPR was eventually initiated, according to the outlet. (RELATED: Woman Found Guilty Of Torturing Special Needs Son, Appears To Throw Up On Stand When Shown Photo Of Malnourished Body)
The lawsuit reportedly accuses the bus company of failing to properly train its staff to handle medical emergencies, particularly for children with disabilities. This claim of negligence is at the heart of the legal action, as detailed by NJ Advance Media, according to NYP.
“He was happy. He was smiling. I gave him a kiss and a hug and said, ‘Have a good day at school, I’ll see you later,'” Spahr told WPVI.
“They don’t want to see this ever happen to another child again, or have another parent go through what they’ve had to endure for the past year,” said attorney Stephen Van Natten, WPVI reported.